in november of last year, the vice president hosted our leadership in the white house to discuss the fiscal cliff and concerns of mayors regarding both investment programs in tax-exempt financing. whenever there's a major issue that demands attention, again and again and again, vice president joe biden has shown the leadership and courage needed to help move our nation in the right direction. that is why it is certainly very hard when president obama asked vice president biden to the special task force to develop responses to the tragedy that not only sandy hook elementary school, the daily tragedies all across america. the nation's mayors and vice president biden have stood together for many, many years in support of public safety. after all, who has been senator joe biden who champions the crime bill, which established the cops program and included the ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines as congress unfortunately allowed to expire. yesterday was personally very proud to be in the white house as president obama and vice president biden unveiled a strong, comprehensiv